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4th District Juvenile Court - Victims

"I have been victimized by a juvenile. What happens
next?"

POLICE INVESTIGATION

After the police have responded to an incident, they write a report.
If they determine the charges are serious enough, they will prepare a
referral and send it, along with a copy of the report, to the Juvenile
Court. If an investigation is required to resolve the crime, it may take
longer for the referral to be sent to the court. The court can give you
no information about the case until the report has been received from
the police. The police case number is not the same as a Juvenile Court
case number. It can only be used to request information from the Police
Department.

JUVENILE COURT REFERRAL

Once the police referral has been received, it is processed by the court.
It is assigned to a probation officer according to the geographical location
of the juvenile's residence. If the police report indicates that there
are possible restitution issues, a letter is sent to the victim requesting
this information. This letter should be received by you (the victim) approximately
four weeks from the time of the incident. This may vary depending upon
the amount of time it takes the referral to reach the court. Make sure
your name and address are correct on the police report. If you do not
receive a letter from the court within six weeks of the incident, you
may call the court and request information on the status of your case.
In a few instances, you may receive more than one letter from the court.
Please respond to each one.

RESTITUTION REQUEST GUIDELINES

When you receive the letter from the court, please make note of the
case number and the name of the Probation officer. Keep this for future
reference. If you have questions or concerns, call this officer to discuss
your case.

RESTITUTION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES OF THE COURT:

Send copies of repair bills and estimates

Keep the orginials You may request the replacement value of items
that were destroyed, not the original cost

If you have insurance and the items are covered, you should only
request the amount of your deductible

You may not claim your own labor, pain or suffering or time off work

You may not request restitution for items that have been recovered
(undamaged). These items will be released by the police after the court
hearing. Contact the Probation officer handling your case to arrange
for this release

If you have medical bills, you may be eligible for advance compensation
through Crime Victim's Reparations (1-800-621-7400)

AFTER THE COURT HEARING

Once the case has been through court, you should receive a letter indicating
the amount of restitution ordered and the due date. If more than one juvenile
was charged with the crime, then the restitution amount will be divided
among them. You should receive a letter for each juvenile. If the amounts
of all the letters you receive do not add up to the total restitution
you requested, contact the Probation officer assigned to your case to
have it researched.

Unless other arrangements have be made, the juvenile will make his restitution
payments to the court. Each time a payment is made, a check will be made
out to the victim. It takes the court three to four weeks to process these
payments.

Juveniles who are under 16 can work for the court on the Work Restitution
program. The hours they work are credited to their restitution at $4 an
hour. There is a lifetime maximum limit of $500 for each juvenile to earn
on this program.

Sometimes restitution can be ordered without a court hearing. The juvenile
will make an agreement with his/her probation officer to take care of
the matter. This will be tracked by the probation officer. If they fail
to comply, it will then be set for court.

MEDIATION:

One option the Judge may suggest is Mediation. In Mediation, the victim
and the juvenile meet together to discuss the offense and come to a mutually
agreeable solution. If the Judge suggests this option, you will be contacted
to see if you are willing to be involved in the process. All parties must
agree to meet. If they do not, the matter is taken back to the Judge for
disposition. You can
also talk to the Probation Officer in charge of your case about the mediation
option.

WHAT IF THE JUVENILE DOESN'T PAY?

If the account goes overdue, the collections clerk sends out a notice.
She may work out a payment plan to help them meet their obligations. If
they still do not pay, they are set for court to explain to a judge why
they are non-compliant. The judge may extend the due date, if it is warranted,
or add additional penalties, including time in detention. The juvenile's
driver's license can be suspended also. If he/she turns 18 without completing
payment, their State income tax return can be garnished.

We make every attempt possible to hold juveniles responsible for their
court obligations, but be aware that large amounts of restitution can
take time to collect.

You have the right to file civil charges against the juvenile if
you choose. However, we will suspend our efforts to collect restitution
if you choose this route.